Gambling
Background * Gaming Control Board could issue casino licenses for nonracetrack facilities in December 2006. Most slots parlors won't be operating before the summer of 2008. * media:Cat2_PITT_OA.pdf‎ Here it comes, ready or not. Gambling is like the tail that is wagging the dog in these parts in these times. * Planks about gambling from Mark Rauterkus * Planks about gambling from ex-Mayor Tom Murphy * Planks about gambling from Allegheny Institute * Positions on slots license from Ed Rendell in Trib in Feb 2006 * State Senate Candidate Wheaton calls for gambling act repeal * Gambling-plank-FOP * Gambling-plank-Diamond Gov candidate, Russ Diamond, calls for repeal of gambling act. * Gambling-plank-Swann Gov candidate, Lynn Swann, okay with gambling and wants A.G. involved. * Citizen, Gerald Shiller says gambling is here and not to about face Statements * The Slots Gambling Mess in Pennsylvania from KQV's Dickey in June, 2006 * More Slots Sleight-of-Hand Sleaze by KQV's Dickey in April, 2006 * Gambling-statements-MikeF Slots for tots by the Mon Dawn, July, 2006 (humor) * Gambling-statement-reform-Marty-Army to Marty's Army in October, 2006 Links * People of Pgh Gambling * PA's Gambling Control Board * Penguins * Civic arena * Lottery * Free drinks * Gambling quotes Media Opinion * Drunk with power: The Legislature stiffs the public on casino drinks fron November, 2006, Post-Gazette General * TAKING A GAMBLE (News from City Paper) Pa. slots are raking in the cash, but will those that lose too much get the help that they need? by: Charlie Deitch - April 5, 2007 * Pa. to become big casino state in 2007 December 2006, by Marc Levy - HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — A hectic and historic 2006 has pushed Pennsylvania closer to becoming one of the nation's biggest commercial gambling states. In 12 months, Pennsylvania could boast slot-machine gambling parlors in every corner. As more gambling halls are built, the state's industry could double in size the following year to more than 30,000 slot machines. In 2009 or 2010, slots could take in $3 billion a year — the magic number that Gov. Ed Rendell has projected. News * Slots Parlor delays proving costly across state Pittsburgh could lose as much as $15 million by end of the year, March 25, 2007, by Tom Barnes, Post-Gazette HARRISBURG -- When the Pennsylvania slots law was enacted in July 2004, state officials were hoping that most, if not all, of the 14 casinos would be open by late 2006, generating money for their host cities and counties as well as helping to lower property taxes statewide. * Mob ties from December 2006 and the Morning Call * License vote could be delayed Tribune-Review in December 2006. * Remember the lower Hill, city panel asks slots bidders December 16, 2006, by Gary Rotstein, Post-Gazette The Pittsburgh Gaming Task Force made a final appeal yesterday to the state decision-makers on the city's casino license to take into account specific issues of lower Hill District revitalization, casino site design and road improvement funding. * Nemacolin Woodlands withdraws request for slots casino in the Post-Gazette from November, 2006. * Casinos: Will the state be the biggest loser? from University Times in November, 2006 * Payne is surprised at casino backlash November 22, 2006, by Ervin Dyer, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette -- Claiming no one has been more surprised at the rising wave of opposition to the Isle of Capri casino plan than she has, city Councilwoman Tonya Payne says neither she nor her office has spoken with anyone voicing concern. 'The people out there yelling the loudest are not calling me,' she said yesterday. 'If there are voices out there against the plan, those voices can work with me. But they've never said anything to me. * Hill clergy lead effort to rebuff slots casino in Hill Post-Gazette, November, 2006 -- Ministers say that a casino would bring an increase in addiction, crime and poverty to the neighborhood * Station Square would have temporary casino HARRISBURG -- The developer of a proposed Station Square casino told the state's gaming board today that it would create a temporary facility with at least 1,500 slot machines if it wins the license for Pittsburgh's stand-alone parlor. * City slots casino bidders get final say before state panel November 20, 2006, by Mark Belko, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette -- The three bidders for a Pittsburgh casino have one last chance to make a good impression, and the stakes couldn't be higher. * Pgh City Paper: FREEDOM CORNER PUSH: FREEDOM FROM CASINO (News Briefs) By: Margaret Welsh - November 9, 2006 A few voices are raised against a slots parlor for the Hill District http://www.pittsburghcitypaper.ws//gyrobase/Content?oid=19772 * Gamblers hoping to get money back after betting Web site shuts down, August 11, 2006, by Adam Goldman NEW YORK -- Since BetOnSports PLC started accepting wagers online, gamblers played the odds on plenty of sporting events. But they also gambled on whether U.S. prosecutors would one day target the Costa Rica-based company for possibly violating federal law. Now, gamblers are wondering if they'll ever get their money back after a judge's temporary restraining order forced BetOnSports to disable its Web site, blocking access to player accounts. * All bets off on casino info -- right to know article by Andrew Conte, TRIBUNE-REVIEW, August 8, 2006 http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/s_465159.html ** State reveals little about casino firms P-G August 9, 2006 State gambling regulators have made public several boxes of documents about Pennsylvania's proposed racetrack/casinos, including information about a Canadian firm that will run The Meadows harness track in Washington County. * Gambling may be Rendell's downfall article from August, 2006 * Slots link to lobbyist decried, P-G, July, 2006 -- His young children partly own supplier, by Tracie Mauriello, Post-Gazette Harrisburg Bureau -- ''Gaming officials are under fire for licensing a slot machine supplier even though it is partly owned by young children of a lobbyist who contributed $68,000 to political campaigns so far this year. * Pa. gaming board OKs slots supplier licenses in the Post-Gazette in June, 2006. "The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board broke a logjam that has been delaying the approval of casino licenses and slot machine suppliers across the state. The logjam broke when board member Jeff Coy dropped his push for the state to be divided into regions where suppliers could operate, which prevented the board from authorizing suppliers. Now, all suppliers will be able to operate anywhere in the state, which the other board members preferred. * Harrah's ahead of pack for Pittsburgh casino from June 6, 2006 by DAVID MCKEE, BUSINESS PRESS : Isle of Capri takes issue with study's analysis : ''Even as it was being edged out of the running in Singapore, Harrah's Entertainment emerged as the front runner for a casino concession in Pittsburgh. In the same week that would see Harrah's bested by Las Vegas Sands in the contest to gain Singapore's first casino license, the mammoth casino operator received the top score in an evaluation process conducted by Pittsburgh's Department of City Planning. * Planning released report on casinos, news from May, 2006 in the Tribune Review * Betting on addiction, article from Pgh City Paper in March, 2006. * Swann and some more elected leaders favor Pgh First plan in March, 2006 * Swann and slots plan with IOC in P-G in March, 2006 * Gambling Ribbon Cutting news of April, 2006. It won't happen before the election in November. * Fighting slots news of April 2006. * P-G's Brian O'Neil about useless state jobs associated with gambling from April 2006. * Gambling donors to politicians article on April 11. * Gambling problem for top lobbyist, John O'Connell, who bet on baseball and sealing from tort reform fundraising efforts, article in Inquirer in April, 2006 * State lottery could lose big to slots The Morning Call Online - Seniors who benefit from revenue would be the ones to suffer if ticket sales decrease. Web * Issues PA gambling hub * http://www.casinofreepa.org/ Blogs * http://bulletizer.blogspot.com/2006/12/why-pennsylvania-needs-slots-casinos.html from December 2006 * http://rauterkus.blogspot.com/2006/11/to-gov-rendell-veto-free-drink-policy.html from November, 2006 from Mark Rauterkus saying veto the free drink at casino bill. * Government run gambling from November, 2006 by Three Rivers Post * http://pennsylvaniaprogressive.typepad.com/my_weblog/2006/11/no_free_drinks.html#comment-25886725 from November, 2006 suggesting '''No Free Drinks' at casinos. * http://festersplace.blogspot.com/2006/10/casino-thoughts.html#links from October 19, 2006 * http://carbolicsmokeblog.blogspot.com/2006/07/harrahs-counting-on-two-out-of-three.html * http://antirust.typepad.com/my_weblog/2006/11/pittsburghs_big.html Humor BDNUrOA_6PY Joe Rivers Casino. Details * http://www.pgcb.state.pa.us/ACT1352006.pdf from March 2007. Court papers in PDF. * The Meadows Racetrack & Casino has broken ground for its temporary slots parlor in November, 2006. The facility will be home to one of Pennsylvania's new race track/casino operations thanks to a 2004 law that permits slot machines at 14 locations in the state. About 1,700 machines will be placed in the temporary facility, while a new facility is established to house 3,000 machines. Traffic * Bridges, tunnels and hills certain to make casino access complicated December 10, 2006, by Joe Grata, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. (Big article) Traffic remains a concern for city casinos December 2006 http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/tribunereview/news/westmoreland/s_483259.html Traffic congestion around casinos proposed for Station Square and the North Shore remains a worry, a co-chairman of the Pittsburgh Gaming Task Force said Thursday after the group met behind closed doors. The volunteer group raised concerns about a temporary casino in the Lower Hill District that has been proposed by Isle of Capri Casinos, said Ron Porter, the co-chairman. The task force wants the applicant to consider nearby residents' fears, he said. Appointed in 2005 by then-Mayor Tom Murphy, the task force plans to shift to an oversight role after the state Gaming Control Board votes Dec. 20 to award the license for Pittsburgh, Porter said. Abe Naparstek, a spokesman for Forest City Enterprises, said company officials have confidence in their traffic assumptions for a Station Square casino. Les McMackin, the spokesman for Isle of Capri, said his company has adhered to the city Planning Commission's requirements for the temporary facility and remains open to suggestions. One-armed bandits, a marvelous cure-all. Slot machines are supposed to fund: * lower property tax, * save our schools, * bail out the horse racing industry, * drive new tourism, * revitalize the Hill District, * create economic development and * save the Penguins. Links * The Meadows, a race track and casino category: justice